Dreams Are Cheap
by Epona's Chosen
Summary: Both Bonnie and Damon dream of being together but neither will pay the price if their love for one another is unrequited...
1. Part 1, The Unprofessed

**Hello! To all my author alertees, I am so sorry to bombard you with star wars fics this past week ;) I doubt any of you have read RepCom :) Sooo, here is a Bamon fic for you! I'm not so sure if I like it that much, but you should read now I guess :)**

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><p><em>It was a beautiful evening, sun setting between the trees and the lake like a mirror. As the sun filtered through the trees and it descended, the rays of lights left dancing shadows in the cool breeze that gently swayed the trees, so gentle as not even to lift the cascade of red hair on Bonnie's shoulders as she took in the picturesque setting. It was stunning, but it didn't compare to the dark, handsome figure that lay with his head on her lap. She smiled down at Damon, her fingers tenderly running through his hair, and he smiled that beautiful smile that made her heart flip right back at her. He was hers. She had the great Damon Salvatore.<em>

_They were both on an old, red and white chequered picnic blanket that Bonnie had found in her parents car and to her side was a mahogany wicker basket now empty of its delicious contents. It had been one of the best evenings of her life. She was so glad Damon had enjoyed it as much as she had. Ever since she was little, she'd loved to have a picnic and watch the sun set but when she had him with her, it was so much better._

"_I love you, cara," Damon said and Bonnie's attention focused on him as a crimson blush flooded her cheeks._

"_I love you too, Damon," she replied, her heart singing with joy as it always did when he said that to her._

_Damon sat up and pulled her onto his lap, his arms encircling her waist as he held her to his chest. Bonnie looked up at him and he couldn't resist her parted, pink lips; he leaned down and touched his lips to hers. Bonnie poured her heart into the kiss, transferring all the love she held for him. She wasn't sure he knew how much she loved him. Bonnie could feel his return of love in their kiss. It wasn't hurried or hard, just sweet and delectable and full of the love they had for each other._

Bonnie slept peacefully, a smile on her face as the dream went on in her mind. It was her own world, one where Damon loved her and happily ever afters existed.

In the silence of the Boarding House, Damon was in the armchair, an empty glass of whiskey on the side table. No sound of movement came from him as he slept and the image of the object of his desires in his mind. Bonnie McCullough. He felt he was fighting a losing battle, a saccharine girl like Bonnie would never love a monster like him, and she deserved better as it was. But that couldn't stop his dreams. He slept much more now, just so he could be in a world where Bonnie was his.

_She was laughing, a light noise that made him smile as he dabbed a dollop of whipped cream on her nose as well. They'd been eating éclairs and Damon, for all his egotism, had managed to get a spot of whipped cream on the tip of his nose._

"_Hey!" Bonnie protested, and tried to lick it off her nose, looking almost comical as she went cross-eyed trying to get it off without having to put the éclair down._

"_Here, love," he said, and leaned over and gently kissed it away. He smiled as she blushed and gently caressed her cheek. Bonnie quickly darted up and licked the cream off his nose as well before ducking her head and blushing violently. She had no idea how adorable she was. He tilted her head back up and smiled._

"_Don't hide your pretty face," he told her and she blushed even more but smiled at the compliment. _

"_I love you, Damon, I always will," Bonnie said._

_Damon couldn't help the pride he felt. Happiness flowed through his veins and flooded his heart. "I love you, too, Bonnie," he told her, and she smiled brightly and munched the rest of her éclair quickly before flinging herself into his arms. Damon smiled and he lifted her onto the kitchen counter so she was at his height before he kissed her. It started off gentle and then became fierce and passionate; a writhing surge that overtook them held them both in its grasp._

Both Bonnie and Damon's dreams began to fade and as Bonnie whimpered, Damon growled at the loss of their love. Then the magic started to happen as Bonnie reached out desperately for Damon and their sleep entwined and became one. A dream that both Bonnie and Damon were in, a dream they'd both remember.

_Small waves crashed upon the shore, dragging the occasional pebble back with them, the sun high in the sky. The silky water was turquoise blue and just begging to be caressed and the long stretch of white sand was untouched by all creatures. _

_Bonnie skipped along the shore, the water gently embracing her ankles as she spun in circles. She felt so free and so light, like she could just drift on the winds, and an untroubled giggle escaped her lips. _

"_Cara…" whispered a faraway, familiar voice. Bonnie paused and she looked around desperately, hoping to see him. _

"_Damon?" She called hopefully, letting the water swish around her feet as she waited with anticipation for him to reply to her._

_Strong arms encircled her from behind and she found her back pressed against a firm chest. "I'm here, my love," he whispered in her ear, and Bonnie sighed in relief. She turned in his arms and looked up at him with her bright, doe eyes. A joyous smile appeared on her face and Damon grinned back at her._

"_You love me?" Bonnie said, her nose wrinkling in confusion. This dream felt different. It felt _real_, but that was impossible; all she knew was that in this dream they weren't already together._

"_With all my heart," Damon assured her, fearful of her doubt._

"_I love you, too," Bonnie said, her eyes glittering with happy tears. She'd never been so affected before. It was as if he really meant it, that this wasn't just a fairytale._

_Damon gave her his charming smile and Bonnie's heart melted. How she wished this was true. "I'm glad, so, so glad," he murmured, and rested his chin on her head. And there they stood, sun falling on them and the gentle whisper of the waves the only sound. They remained there for some time; minutes that passed seemed like hours in their sleep. Both of them took comfort in each other's presence, and Bonnie had never felt so safe, warm and loved._

_Damon smiled into her hair. "You're beautiful, Bonnie," he told her. He could practically feel the heat radiate from her cheeks as she blushed. She looked at him, glowing at the compliment and snuggled closer into his arms._

The dream faded and both Bonnie and Damon jumped awake at the same time.

Damon sighed. "Oh..." He murmured to himself. He was alone, no Bonnie to hold and kiss. He was an idiot to think he would be anything other than alone.

Meanwhile, Bonnie was hugging her pillow and trying to get back into the dream. She had started to prefer her dreams to real life. She didn't have to see Damon and hide her feelings for him.

As if in sync, they both got up and steadily got dressed for another day. It wasn't planned, but after leaving their respective home, they both headed into town to the same small coffee shop.

Damon saw Bonnie as they approached and his heart leapt. He hurried to catch up with her.

"Bonnie!" He called as he came up behind her, and he mentally kicked himself for sounding so hopeful and desperate.

Bonnie spun around, and she blushed for a second before giving him a bright smile. "Damon. Hi," she said, sounding breathless.

"Hi... Are you alright?" He asked for lack of anything else. He had so much he wanted to say and so much he couldn't and it broke his heart.

"I'm alright, how about you?" Bonnie said. _No, I'm in love with you_

"Yeah, I'm good," Damon said out loud but added in his head, _I dreamt about you last night..._

"Want a coffee?" Bonnie said. _It was amazing, the beach was stunning and the feeling of your arms was the safest I've ever felt._

"I'd love one," he replied, opening the door for her. _You said you loved me, I love you, I wish I could tell you_.

Bonnie went inside the cafe and up to the counter. "I'll have a caramel latte." She said. _Damon, I love you, please, let my dreams come true._

Damon ordered his own coffee and paid for them both. _I need you, your touch and your love, or I'm going to go mental_.

Bonnie went to protest but didn't, and took her drink over to a table at the back. _Why can't you just hold me? Protect me?_

Damon sat down opposite her and resisted the urge to take her hand. "It's been quiet recently, no threats or attacks," he said, making conversation. _I just want to kiss you. I'll protect you and hold you in my arms. I'm begging you._

Bonnie nodded. "I feel as if something big is planning something." _And I want to be in your arms if it does._

He smiled. "We'll defeat it, we always do." _And I want to do is defeat it for you and make you proud._

She smiled back. "You're so confident." _Why can't I just admit that I love him? _She already knew the answer. _Because if he laughs, you'll be in pieces and nobody will be able to fix you._

Damon chuckled. "I know." _But not confident enough to just come out and say it. I. Love. You. Bonnie. It's just so hard to say it out loud._

Bonnie sipped her coffee. "I'd like to be confident." _Just enough to say I love you_.

Damon smiled. "You have no reason not to be." _But please don't be enough to attract another guy's attention._

Bonnie blushed – and Damon held back a happy smile, the want to caress the blush that made her ever more beautiful. "I... I..." She stammered. _You wouldn't want a shy kid like me, I wish I was the girl of your dreams_.

Damon laughed softly. "You're so..." He cut himself off. He'd been about to say beautiful. Bonnie sat up slightly, curious to what he was about to say. "Um... Err... Never mind." He said his eyes wide as he'd been caught off guard.

Bonnie frowned. He'd looked so vulnerable for a second, and she wanted to know what he thought of her. "Oh... Okay then." She said with a sad smile.

Damon almost blurted it out right there and then. She looked sad and it was his fault. _I love you!_ He screamed mentally at her. _Never change. You're beautiful and kind and sweet and I want you so bad it hurts._

The silence between them became somewhat awkward, both of them dying to admit their love but scared of rejection. In the end, the price they'd pay if they spoke what their heart wanted them too and they were shot down would be far too high. Dreams were cheap. They were safe and personal. Neither would pay the price of unrequited love they thought they had.

Bonnie finished her coffee quickly, gulping it down. "I have to go," she said hurriedly.

Damon's expression for a second was so disappointed and heart-wrenching that Bonnie almost stayed, but she shook it off. "Oh... I'll, see you soon?" Damon asked, unable to hide the hope in his voice.

"Yeah, I'll be at the boarding house this evening," Bonnie promised. She wasn't going to go, but he sounded so _hopeful_, she couldn't deny him.

"I'll be there," Damon said and forced a smile. Bonnie smiled back and she almost ran out of the shop. She had nowhere to go, but she couldn't be in there with that silence. She had almost said it out of nervousness, said that she loved him. Then he would have laughed in her face and she would have been so embarrassed.

Damon stared at Bonnie's empty seat with the same feeling of emptiness in his heart. He'd had the chance to say something then. He could have called her beautiful, or adorable, or even lovable, but no. She'd probably thought that he was going to insult her. He sighed. He'd work up the courage to tell her someday...

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><p><strong>Okay, so your opinion? I hope you liked it! And I know... Not a happy ending :( So - because I hate unhappy endings - if you want, I can turn this into a two-shot and have they confess their love? :) Let me know what you think of that, and this ficlet!<strong>

**One last thing before I let you review/fave/alert/etc: can you please please please vote on the poll on my profile! It is to do with Meredith and I need a result so I can continue working on my multi-chapter (which, yes, has Bamon in it :)**

**I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**- Rhiannon xxx**


	2. Part 2, The Confession

**Here you go! Due the people alerting and asking for Pt.2 here it is! Sorry for the wait, I've not been in a very Bamon-y mood but I love you guys so I had to write this for you instead of piling on the Star Wars stuff :) It may be RepCom (Star Wars) for a little while, probably until I read Phantom and then I'll be in Bamon mode again :D**

**It's not long, but enjoy!**

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><p>Bonnie pulled up outside the Boarding House, her hair tousled by the wind in her convertible as she'd promised Damon she would. She noticed Stefan's 4x4 had gone and a small streak of panic ran through her. Damon's sleek, black Ferrari was parked by the door, but there was no sign of anyone else. Bonnie put the car into reverse, tempted to leave but when she looked up, Damon's form materialised in the doorway and she ducked her head, pretending not to see him.<p>

"Going somewhere, little red?" Damon's voice came from next to her. Bonnie jumped, looking back at the empty doorway before turning her head to the side. Damon was standing next to her car, resting his elbows on the sill of the open window.

Bonnie blushed. "I didn't think anyone was in," she said.

Damon smirked at her blush. "You think I'd have asked you too come if I knew there was nobody here?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I… Don't know?" She said and it sounded more like a question.

Damon opened Bonnie's door. "Come on, red," he said. "Stefan and Elena are out having dinner."

Bonnie climbed out the car nervously. She was confused as well. Damon was going to spend his evening with her. He _wanted_ too. He could be out draining some blonde slut, but no, he'd invited her over – knowing Stefan and Elena were out. Should she be worried he would snack on her instead? No. Damon wouldn't do that, he may not care about her but it wouldn't help his quest for Elena if he killed her.

Damon closed the door after her, knowing she was nervous. He couldn't sense her thoughts; she'd grown good at hiding them as her powers had grown. He led her into the house. He knew he had to do it. He had to confess his feelings. She'd probably just hug him and tell him she was sorry but she didn't feel the same in that sweet, adorable way. But at least she'd know. That felt like the most important thing right now.

As they walked through the doors, Damon suddenly realised he was at a complete loss of what they would do while they were here. He had only thought of professing his love to her. Then, he had no idea.

"I'm going a make a hot chocolate," Bonnie said, thinking of marshmallows and whipped cream, she even considered adding a shot of whiskey – to calm her nerves.

"I'll make it, red," Damon told her. "I'll even add some of my own whiskey for you," he added with a wink. Bonnie blushed. Obviously her barriers had dropped for a second; she hoped they'd been up earlier.

"Thanks," she murmured and she hurried into the living room and she curled up on the sofa – opposite the chair Damon usually sat in.

She smiled at the fire in the grate. Fire always captivated her, the flickering of the flames that twirled and leapt like ballet dancers on a wooden stage. Bonnie could find no word other than beautiful to describe it. It could be warm and comforting or raging and scary. She always thought it to be very independent.

Damon came silently into the room carrying her hot chocolate and a glass of whiskey for himself. He stopped in the entrance, his eyes falling on her small frame. She was simply stunning. The light from the blaze made her hair glow as if it was on fire itself. Damon lounged against the door, his eyes caressing the silky smooth texture of her creamy skin and the desperation to touch her shone through in his expression.

He walked over to her. "Here you go," he said and Bonnie jumped before smiling up at him. She took the hot chocolate off him.

"Thank you," she said gratefully and her tongue darted out and took a marshmallow off the mountain of whipped cream.

Damon chuckled and he sat down and took a sip of his whiskey. "Bonnie…" He said, quietly and she looked up into his dark eyes. "I have to tell you something."

Bonnie suddenly turned anxious. "What…?" She asked. Did he know? Was he going to tell her he didn't love her back or something? She was scared. Damon looked so serious.

"I… Um…" Damon started; his throat started to constrict and he suddenly didn't know how to say it. He could feel fear taking hold of him and panicked. No. He was going to tell her. He _had _too. "Bonnie, I'm in love with you," he said, and he wasn't quite sure whether he'd said it out loud or not. She still looked confused; maybe he had said it in his head. Slowly, her expression turned to shock before her cheeks filled with crimson.

"Damon," she breathed. "You aren't playing with me, are you?" She asked, fearful of the answer.

Damon met her eyes with open shock that she could think such a thing and Bonnie knew the answer before he said it out loud. "No. I mean it." He whispered, truthfully.

"Oh…" Bonnie said. This was the one thing she'd always wanted to hear and now all she could say was 'oh'. A weak smile crossed her face and Damon prepared himself for rejection. The free dreams seemed much more valuable than the price of rebuke.

"I love you, too," she finally said after a minute. Damon's head shot up and he stared at Bonnie. Before he could ask if he'd heard right, she nodded.

He was over to her side in less than a second and his arms went around her waist, pulling her close. Bonnie's slender arms encircled his neck and she pressed herself against him. Her heart was singing with joy at the returned love and she smiled happily. "I love you," he murmured in her ear, sending hot breath spilling over her neck and she shivered in delight.

"I love you, too," she said, tipping her head up to look at his face. His lips where in the right place to meet hers and he pressed them together in a kiss so soft and gentle it made Bonnie go weak all over and melt further into her embrace.

Their lips stayed connected as they moved against each other. It was slow and sweet, neither wanting to hurry their new found love and Damon's hand rested on the small of her back, pressing her closer against his chest. Her fingers played with the ends of his silky hair as they had so often in her dreams and she smiled against his lips.

Bonnie pulled back, her cheeks flushed and she took a breath. She looked up at Damon who was gazing at her with a crooked smile and a look of sheer adoration in his eyes. All of a sudden, her brain kicked in. Bonnie had the horrifying thought that she might be dreaming. It had never felt so real before. Damon looked at her as her face fell.

"What's wrong…?" He asked, worriedly.

Bonnie freed her arms from around his neck and pinched her forearm. Damon raised an eyebrow as she squeaked in pain. Then relief flooded her features. "This is real." She said.

"Of course it is," Damon said, his mind flicking back to his own dreams. He knew this was real, Bonnie always felt like a ghost in his arms compared to this; now she felt whole and warm.

She smiled her face lighting up like the sun. "I was scared I might be dreaming again," she murmured in explanation and rewrapped her arms around him.

Damon pressed his face to her hair. He'd changed his mind. Dreams were still cheap, but reality was much more valuable and having Bonnie in his arms forever was priceless.

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><p><strong>Okay, so the last line I think is kinda like a Mastercard advert... -_- But yus, many of you probably won't get that (probably). Please, please leave a delicious review for me to nom!<strong>

**Love Rhiannon, x3**


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